National Republican., 1887-05-30
SERMON TO THE SOLDIERS.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches AT THE
NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT.
He Compares the Hosts OF biblical
Times with the Drilled Troops OF the
Present Day-DanEer Of Foreign In
vasion Of the United States.

DIR. Talmage preached yesterday at the
National Drill grounds to an audience
numbering not less than $1,000 peo
pie. The texts were taken from 1
Chronicles, XII, SO: "Fifty thousand which
could keep rank !" and Judges, Xxx, 10:
"Every one could sling stones at a hair
breadth and not miss" The preacher
said
zouaves, please notice the first Scripture pas
sage npplauds the soldiers OF Zebulun because
they were disciplined troops. They may have
been inefficient at the start and laughed at BY
old soldiers because they seemed SO clumsy 10
the line, but 1t was drli, dril, drill until they
could Keep step as one man. "Fifty thousand
which could keep rank" The second Scrip
the tribe OF benjamin because they were dex-
terous marksmen. When they first enlisted
they may have been an awkward squad, and
ced until when wsbe tbey nisd az alk snsy pfhSS pthSy
always hit 1t. Every one could sling stones
at a hair-Dreadth and not MISS" Both texts
combining to. show us that five must fight,
There ia something absorbing In the military
science OF the Bible. In olden times al
the men between 20 and 90 years Of age were
made for special ssiyce TSerc we're sTTs only way
three or four classes exempt those who had
built house and had not occupied Il; those
who had planted a garden and had not reapsd
the fruit OF IL; those who were engaged TO be
married and yet had not led the bride TO the
altar: those who were yet In the first year of
welded life; those. who were so nervous that
they could not look upon an enemy but they
fed and could not look upon blood but they
tainted.
The army was in three dlyisions-the center
and right and left wings. The weapons of de-
fpngp hQlmQt ahipl1 hrQagtntafa hup1r.
Ter. The weaponsof ofiense were sword spear
javelin, arrow, catapult, which was merely q
bow swung by machinery, shooting arrows at
vast distances, great arrows, one arrow as
large as several men could lit. and ballasts
which was sling swung by machinery, hurl-
Ing great rocks and large pieces of lead to vast
willow. work with three thicknesses Of hide
and loop inside, through which the arm of
thu. warrior might be thrust, and when these
soldiers were marching 10 attack an enomy on
making wall moving but impenetraDle; and
then when they attacked a fortress ana tried
to capture battlement this shield was lifted
The breastplate was made of two pieces OF
leather, brass covered. one piece failing over
the breast, the other falling over the back. At
the & side Of the warrior the TWO pieces fastened
Tho bows were SO stout and stiff and strong
that warriors often challenged each other to
bend one. The strings OF the bow were made
iyerted pyramid was fastened to the back, that
case containing the arrows, so that when the
warrior wanted TO- use an arrow he would pnt
his arm over his shoulder aud pull forth the
arrow for the fight. The ankle Of the foot had
an iron bolt. When wall was to be assaulted
battering ram was brought up. batterlng
ram was q great beam swung on chains in
equilibrium. The battering ram would be
brought close up. to the wall and then great
number of men would take hold OF this beam,
push y back as far as they could and then let
go, and the beam became great swinging
Twenty or forty men wonld stand In nova.
BILE tower on the back OF an elephant, the ele
phant made drunk with wine, aud then
headed toward the enemy, and what with the
heavy feet and the swinging proboscis aud the
poisoned arrows shot from the movable tower,
the destruction was appalling War chariots
they could easily turn. Asword was fastened
itothe pole between the horses, so when they
went ahead the sword thrust and when they
turned ,aN around l. would nov down The ar
Tribe of Judah carried flag embroidered with
"A lion: tribe of Reuben, embroidered
Sraaorso VIII man tribe GnS,,,,s, OF Dan. en-
Of the host as they moved on was oyerwhelm-
ing. What with the clatter of shields, and the
'rumbling OF wheels, and shouts of the captains,
and the vociferation of the entire host the
prophet says It was like the roaring Of the sea.
Because the arts of war have been advancing
all these years you are not 10 conclude that
these armies OF olden times were an uncon-
passages Of Scripture showing you that they
were thoroughly drilled; they marched step to
step, shoulder to shoulder or, as my texts ex-
press 4, they were $4,000 which could keep
hair breadth end not miss"
Nothing could be more important than this
great National Encampment. undrilled troops
can never stand before those which are drilled.
At time when other nations are giving such
care to military tactics, 1t behooves this nation
TO lack nothing In skill. We shall never have
another an war between north and south. The
old decayed bone of contention, American
slavery, has been cast out, although here and
there deprayed politician takes 1t up to see II
he can gnaw something oil oft. We are float
OF sectional strife, but about foreign Invasion |
am not 30 sure. There is absolutely no room
on this continent for any other nation have
been across % the country again and aaain aud |
know that we have not a half inch Of ground
for the gouty foot of foreign despotism TO stand
on. ! do not know but that half dozen nations
envlous OF our prosperity may want to give us a
or three nations that could hardly keep their
hands off of us. 1t is very easy to pick national
quarrels, and If our nation escapes 1t much
longer log u VIII be the, exception. Il foreign
1872, and like those who fought on both sides
In 1852; We want them all up and down the
coast, Pulaski and Fort Sumter IN the same
Hamilton, men who will not only know how
to fight, but how to die. When snch time
comes, If itever does come, the generations on
the stage Of sStiEn viii say: my country viii
asylums for the orphans In the civil war and
my country will honor my dust as 1t honors
those who preceded me In patriotic sacrifice,
Day, 1 shall be resurreoted In In the eGn1n remsm.
orange m Of those for whom died. Here Igo
i9r God and my country" II foreign foo
should ever come all sectional animosities
WOlld he nhlit( rated Hara arfo
into the battle. side by, side, 18th New York
volunteers. 10th Alabama cavalry, 1ath PENN
sylvania riaemen, 10th Massachusetts, artillery,
!tn South Carolina sharp shooters. have no
east. No west.' Let oil four sections keep EN-
their Pecuiiarities and their preferences, each
o mot with
In the great harmony-the bass, the alto, the
tenor, tenor, the soprano-in the grand march Of the
i congratulate you, tho officers and soldiers
OF this. National Encampment that If a
foreign attack should at any time be made yon
would be ready, and there would be millions
s mem ea " m@ %ea S Gf ss se'R wssh od iaeD s
rank, and like the men OF my second text, that
would not miss hair breadth.
Atthis National drill, when thirtyone states
o. The union ore represented, and between the
which took place few days ago, and the
DECORATIONS Of the graves OF the norther dead,
which shall take place tomorrow. l would stir
the eChristian patriotism and gratitude not only
people, by putting before them the difference
between those times. when the soldiers Of all
sections meet in peace, and the. times when
sectional bitterness In 1862 with the feeling OF
sectional unity In 1887. AT the first date the
South had .banished the national air. t'The
S!aT sspddnsleS Banner and the North had
Down souih in pffsI" pBisIe" The SostherrSS
people were "mudsills'' and the Southern
people were white trash.'' The more south
ern people were killed In battle. the bstter the
north liked IL. The more northern people
were killed In battle the better the south liked
It,. For four years the head Of Abraham Lin
q million d0llara. if dalIvnrad nn nithnr. eidn